Title: Kolibri Released: 1995 Genre: 2-D Shooter Developer: Sega  Publisher: Sega  Regions: USA, UK Availability: Rare

A 32x exclusive. Do you love the Ecco the Dolphin games for the Genesis and Sega CD? You're going to love this one. Far and away the prettiest game to ever grace the 32x, Kolibri is one extremely underrated and unusual shooter. Sega took the tired old horizontal 2-D shooter genre and rejuvenated it with a dose of true tree-hugging, crystal-rubbing, new-age environmentalism. Mother Earth and her “crystal with the power of life” have been besieged by the forces of evil, and it is up to you and your hummingbird (surely a video game first) to save them as you fight wave after wave of animal-based enemies. The action is fast and furious (except for occasional moments of slowdown), yet calming and serene at the same time (your bird drinks nectar out of flowers to gain health.) Kolibri is a graphical masterpiece, with beautiful, rich 32x color and layer upon layer of deep parallax scrolling. The lush musical score and "natural" sound effects fit the game perfectly, lending Kolibri a soothing quality found in few other videogames. The challenge can be a bit high, though, and it's sometimes difficult finding the exit to a level. Actually, the high difficulty level covers up the fact that there aren't very many levels to begin with, making Kolibri a quick game for skilled players. Not the best shooter ever made (check out Radiant Silvergun for the Saturn), but certainly one of the prettiest and most original. Kolibri is the only 2-D shooter ever produced for the 32x and continues to be one of the more sought-after releases.